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Naturally an anvil needs to sit on a sturdy base and I didn't just want to settle for the old tree stump solution. I wanted something epic, preferably medieval looking with a mix of charred wood and bare steel.
So I started off with a 100x100x2400 timber post that I cut in 4 and glued together to create the 200x200x600 blank to work from. I used a power planer to get the sides relatively flush without completely ruining it's rugged looks, and also threw a bevel on the edges while I was at it. I traced the anvil's footprint and used my router to drop it by about 10mm so that the anvil sat nice and snug and couldn't slide around. I also used the router to create 2x 25x3mm channels around the base, 150mm from the top and bottom ends.
Once I was happy with the shape and size, I used a blowtorch to char the exterior and really bring out the wood grain, followed by a quick Scotchbrite scuffing to blend it nicely. I sealed the charred base with two layers of boiled Linseed oil.
Finally, I created the 2x metal straps that fit snugly in the channels I had milled, welded the ends and drove 16x 45mm coach screws through it to bring it all together. Overall, I'm super happy with the outcome. The last step will be to add the tool holder to the top and secure the anvil with some brackets that I'm yet to make
PS: Below you will see the welds I did where the ends of the flatbar met. I welded this in place because the strap sits in a channel and could not be fitted over otherwise. I did these with a little Ozito gasless MIG I bought last week: The new one, where the feed and voltage are both adjustable rather than just the feed rate. It works like a charm 
Happy building!
Made an improvement by adding some robust wings from 25mm x 3mm flat iron that offer the ability to hold fire bricks and tools, and also manufactured some mounts for tying the whole thing. Together it's so stable at the moment.
Also, in other news, I found that mounting my vice to my anvil when I'm not using it works fairly well I made some tracks to keep it centred and a square bit that fits in the hardy hole to keep it from sliding around.
And here are some happy flames to finish it off
G'day @MartiPedia
How are you? How's your knife forge going?
I thought of you the other day.
We regularly receive frozen ice packs (Hello Fresh) and my wife asked me what I wanted to do with them.
I told her to throw them into a corner of the yard and when they melt I'll "harpoon 'em like Captain Ahab and Moby Dick and then toss'em in the bin"
She just rolled her eyes as she usually does.
But I needed a surplus knife.
She gave me a Master Chef knife. "Why?" I asked.
"They're rubbish she said."
I was surprised at that until I tried to punch out the slotted metal piece - proved to be just a aluminium rivet and the plastic (which I thought would be solid?) shattered in all directions. Even the handle area is not solid metal - slotted. Poor knife design?
Anyway.
With the knife positioned onto an old broom handle - I'm ready to fight frozen packs, bears and whales.
Hey @Noyade
I'm doing very well thanks, hope you are too! I've been very lazy on the crafting front the last month or two but I do need to get back into it during my upcoming leave I produced a very nice (in my DIY opinion at least) drop point hunting knife as a gift for a friend which you can read more about here: MartiPedia Blog.
I know those ice packs very well yes, and currently horde them in the absence of knowing how to properly dispose so thanks for that 
Commercial, bulk produced knives that still look and perform well often have some hidden gems like what you're uncovering here, presumably in the spirit of saving money. It's always a bit frustrating to find that things are not as they seem, but at least the blades are still fair quality steel and that's really what matters in the end. Imagine if it was a mild steel full tang knife. That would have been less than useless
I like the product you ended up with! I reminds me that I still want to produce something similar once I've established what local legislation has to say about it
Now for your next trick, give that handle some gentle shaping features like finger grooves etc, hit it with a torch / stain, sand and oil! Should come up a treat.
Also, a word of caution: In your new ice pack poking and slashing implement pictured above, there's nothing keeping your hand(s) from sliding along the length of the handle in the direction of- and onto the blade. If this happens it can be pretty grim and it's something I don't want to see happening to anyone, let alone fellow DIY folks so please use with care
You will see that all the knives I have produced to date (other than the one I forged from scratch) have prominent features preventing a hand from accidentally sliding onto the blade during use for this very reason.
Happy crafting!
~M
Afternoon @MartiPedia !
"there's nothing keeping your hand(s) from sliding along the length of the handle in the direction of- and onto the blade."
Well, actually there is Marti. At this stage I think I'm pretty safe from that happening. It's a one handed stabbing action with the hand 1.6 metres away from the blade whilst the other hand steadies my one-legged scooter. But thanks for the tip! 😁
But I do need to keep my foot clear! 😁
Aaaah, I see @Noyade, I wasn't sure how long you left the handle based on the previous pictures, whether it was just a short piece or literally the whole broom You should make a leather strap wrapped handle on it to finish it off, perhaps tie a magpie feather or two in there for good measure
Afternoon @MartiPedia
wow to this thread Impressed and man its so interesting! How is the forge holding up?
Dave
Hi @Dave-1 ,
Ah, the poor forge has been cold for a while. We have moved house and just been stuck in general home improvement for a while, but I do have probably 30+ farrier rasp blanks that are all waiting to become cutlery The forge is a wonderful thing, as it's not specific to actual forging but also serves as my heat treatment solution for the things I produce. I have a knife blank ready receive its bevel, heat treatment and handle before joining my camping gear so that will probably be the next tenant to that little fiery cave.
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